Night of Chaos
Coruscant News Network Building
Federal District
Coruscant
Date: 2920 AOK (One Weeks before New Year Fate)
Across the entire Republic as well as on the 'Castaway's Hope and on the Falcon’s Crest (which are mere hours from Iktotch), normal Republic broadcasting was suddenly interrupted. Entire airwaves across the Republic went black all at once. Within seconds the broadcast waves displayed a technical difficulty message. Than without warning the image went live to CNN’s main News Room. However, the twin desk, where well known Bail Organa and his Twi’lek sidekick Sinya Lefe would normally sit was empty.
“I got the uplink,” A female voice off camera yelled. “We’re live across the Republic!”
Another voice, “Sinya! Go!”
Pounding on a door in the distances could be heard as Sinya rushed over to the desk, “Good Evening, I am Sinya Lefe, bringing you an important announcement!” She looked to the source of the pounding, there was genuine fear on her face as she turned back to the camera. “In violation of the Galactic Constitution, the Security Council has ordered all media and communication traffic across Coruscant shut down.”
She rifled through here papers. It was clear that they were hastily put together. “I will have to be hurried as station security is attempting to shut us down. We are greatly pressed for time. The entire Federal District has been placed under a strict black out by order of the Coruscant Defense Force.”
“For those that weren’t following, allow me to recap what happened that led us here.”
She paused a moment before continuing, “Two days ago, the OPA’s 5th Army conducted combat drops on the independent world of Fray. During the first hours of combat, they overran the world’s weak militia units, seizing the capital city of Baku. Despite being thrown out of their capital, fighting remains intense. Representatives of Fray made an official request to the Jedi for military assistance.”
“As we have already reported earlier this week, the OPA had accused the Jedi of arming a Jedi friendly faction on Fray. This came to light when it was discovered that arms and supplies were being shipped to the world in secret, via a smuggler. This story broke when an OPA warship stopped a Republic civilian transport and searched it. They discovered weapons and other war materials bound for the independent world. Hours later after a failed attempt by the OPA to neutralize the weapons, General Graff, leader of the OPA’s military, ordered the 5th Army to seize the weapons.”
“In response, the Jedi 10th Striker Division, under the command of Jedi Master Horm Darillian, moved his force to Fray. Currently, it is still unclear if Jedi Master Darillian, who is a Fray native and member of the High Council, was acting under orders of the High Council or not. The two mammoth units have been locked in a heated battle over the control of Fray’s northern fuel fields.”
“The this battle raged, back on Coruscant, Senators Tal Merrrick and Finis Valorum co-authored a bill called, The Defense of Fray Military Act. The bill would dispatch six divisions and dozens of warships to Fray in support of the Jedi’s 10th Striker Division. The bill barely passed the Senate, but died five hours ago Chancellor Syrdash vetoed it.”
A female voice could be heard saying behind Sinya’s report, “their trying to cut our transmission!”
“Can you block them,” a man asked.
“Yes, I think I can,” she said as Sinya turned to the voices.
Sinya pleaded, “Ale’ea, I need you to keep us online.”
She turned back to the camera, with a renewed sense of urgency. “The Chancellor cited her veto on the grounds of not wanting to ignite the entire outer rim in to open warfare. She insisted that the Republic nor the Jedi were behind the secret weapons build up on Fray. Instead of provoking the OPA with a bill that would have been seen a further provocation, she wanted to press for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. The Chancellor gave one of her most moving speeches to date pleading the Senate to not allow this crisi to explode in to warfare that would engulf dozens if not hundreds of worlds.”
“Led by Senator Valorum and a coalition from across the Senate, they attempted a Vote of No Confidence. However, the vote fell far short of a majority. Senator Valorum then turned to the Security Council claiming that the Chancellor was no longer fit to defend the Republic against its enemies. Nearly an hour later and to everyone’s surprise, word leaked out that General Order 65 had been issued by the Security Council. Currently, we have no confirmation that this information is accurate.”
“Order 65 stated that if a majority of the Senate or the Security Council declared that the Supreme Chancellor is unfit for duty, the Chancellor was to be captured or, if necessary, killed. Wait, can we get the actual language of the order up?....yes? good. Thank you…”
Quote:Order 65: In the event of either (i) a majority in the Senate declaring the Supreme Commander (Chancellor) to be unfit to issue orders, or (ii) the Security Council declaring him to be unfit to issue orders, and an authenticated order being received by the GAR, commanders shall be authorized to detain the Supreme Commander, with lethal force if necessary, and command of the GAR shall fall to the acting Chancellor until a successor is appointed or alternative authority identified as outlined in Section 6 (iv).
“As we were about to go on air regarding this drastic turn of events, armed operatives from the Senate Bureau of Intelligence arrived and ordered our transmitters to be shut down during what they called a political crisis. They presented our leadership with orders from the Senate claiming that to peacefully remove the Chancellor and her allies from power that secrecy was required. Our leadership foolishly complied with these orders, despite them being in direct violation of the Galactic Constitution.”
“Shortly after that, we witnessed the Chancellor’s personal flagship departing without its escorts. That was when we started to see open conflict across the Senate and Federal District. I have sources on the ground, that have not received confirmation that General Order 65 has in fact been issued by the Security Council. However, that fact has not stopped the fighting in sparse areas of the district. Before the Chancellor’s escorts could depart, a pair of light cruisers and a Venator Class Star Destroyer parked right over their births as they were preparing to depart. For the time being, these warships are prevent these two escorts from leaving their docks.”
“From what we can tell, the military leader of the forces that oppose the Chancellor is none other than Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin. The hero, who had ventured in to the heart of the OPA to bring back vital information regarding their plans and agenda. Shortly after his return a few weeks ago, Tarkin was promoted to Admiral and given command of the Coruscant Defense Force.”
“At the outbreak of this crisis and conflict that followed, Admiral Tarkin issued an order to all of his forces that any unnecessary force would not be tolerated. He gave his word that forces formerly loyal to the Chancellor that choose to lay down their arms would be treated fairly and with dignity.”
“Senator Valorum has become the political center in this crisis, claiming that he has formed a transitional government now that the Chancellor has been removed. I have learned from sources within the Senate that it was by Valorum’s order that all communications around Coruscant be shut down. To our surprise, these desperate hours has made for strange bedfellows. We have reports that a few individual Jedi have joined forces with Valorum and his military allies to remove the Chancellor from power. However, currently, the Jedi High Council has not made any moves to take a side.”
The pounding resumed, this time with much more force. A distant voice called out, “the door won’t hold!”
Then the sounds of heavy weapons could be heard. Sinya stood up and moved from her desk as she spoke, “can that thing follow me?”
“yeah….” The voice behind the camera replied. Within a moment the image followed her as she rushed across the sound stage towards a large window. Thick blue and red bolts could be seen reaching for the sky.
Sinya moved to a large window overlooking the Grand Coruscant Military Base. From the window, it appeared that ships above the base were taking fire from a pair of Venator’s landed at the base. “The Chancellor’s escort ships are attempting to depart their landing sites. Ships are slugging it out,” Sinya said half turning to the camera. Behind her, a smaller ship started to vent black smoke as it slowly started to drift towards the ground. The remaining ships over the base started to open fire on the ships on the ground.
An explosion rocked the sound stage filling it with smoke. The camera spun to show canisters flipping through the air causing more smoke filled the vast sound stage. Thick white smoke flooded from the canisters. People started to scream as multiple authoritarian voices yelled out, “by order of the Senate, shut this transmission down!”
Blaster fire rang out, followed by a hail of return fire. Screaming echoes across the sound stage as Sinya spoke from behind the camera, “We are being attacked by Senate Commandos. What is happening on Corus….” The transmission goes black…
Chapter Three: The Brush Fire Wars
